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Ephesus, 431to the tune of "Jingle Bell Rock"

Gloria and Otto especially like the idea of taking secular Christmas songs and "Christianizing" them. Here's one for the season of Advent, about the Council of Ephesus and the incarnation.

Ephesus, Ephesus, four thirty-oneGod is the Father, Jesus is SonBut was he adoptedOn baptism day?What's the Holy Ghost have to say?

Ephesus, Ephesus, help us to knowWas he born God, or average Joe?Is he a mortal, infused with divineOr beyond all time?

Did our God take up a bodyAnd walk that guy around?Or with flesh born of a VirginDid he make our human nature more profound?

Ephesus, Ephesus, figure it outNatural man and SonSo from the future we can look back to youBack to four thirtyBack to four thirtyBack to four thirty-one!

Copyright (c) 2009 Liturgical Groove Productions

Θεοτοκος

As y'all know, this 5th-century council declared Mary to be "Theotokos"-- the Mother of God, literally "God-bearer." This was instead of another proposal, "Christotokos" Christ-bearer. Why important? Because some dude (well, bishop) named Nestorius was saying that Jesus didn't, couldn't, have two natures, and Mary just gave birth to a man, not God. Cyril of Alexandria wrote him letters informing him otherwise, but eventually it took an Ecumenical Council to set the record straight. Mary is not just the mother of some anointed (Christ) human, she's the Mother of God too. And that's a nice message for the season of Advent, when we think about the coming of Christ-- not just that He came, but why He came-- as Savior.

So this song asks the Council to decide about Who Jesus is-- so that we can keep it straight now!